The Tucker Carlson Show – The 9/11 Files: The Cover-up Commission | Ep 2

Date: September 30, 2025
Host: Tucker Carlson Network

Episode Summary

Overview

This episode delves into the origins and conduct of the official 9/11 Commission and its final report, making the case that the investigation was fundamentally compromised, intentionally underfunded, and manipulated at the highest levels to suppress the truth about what really happened on September 11, 2001. Through interviews—most prominently with 9/11 widow and advocate Kristin Breitweiser—the episode argues that the Bush administration and political actors had vested interests in shaping the narrative, protecting themselves, and paving the way for foreign policy objectives, especially the Iraq War.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Pre-9/11 Political Climate and Warnings

• George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign was focused on defeating John McCain; aggressive tactics and political maneuverings are described (00:41–01:04).
• By December 2000, key hijackers were nearly finished their pilot training in the U.S., yet the intelligence community failed to stop them (01:04–01:18).
• The official account of 9/11 was dictated by the findings of a single National Commission, which, it’s argued, was "intentionally underfunded, poorly structured, corrupt" (01:24–01:58).

The Aftermath: A Push for War & Avoiding Accountability

• Immediately after 9/11, the Bush administration leveraged national shock to promote the "global war on terror" (02:06–02:18).
• There was resistance within the administration to any backward-looking probe; the priority was rapid military response in Afghanistan and preparations for Iraq (03:33–03:48).
• Quote (Kristin Breitweiser, 03:33):

  "We were looking at a Bush administration that really was not interested in looking backwards. There was a push to immediately go to war...and then there was the queue up for the war in Iraq."

• White House insiders, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, are described as redirecting 9/11’s tragedy toward justifying an attack on Iraq (04:04–05:08).

Personal Story: Kristin Breitweiser’s Loss and Activism

• Breitweiser recounts the last conversation with her husband, Ron, on 9/11—a deeply emotional segment underscoring the human cost and her motivation for seeking accountability (05:08–07:04).
• Quote (Kristin Breitweiser, 07:04):

  "I wish I told him to run. I wish I told him to get out. I wish I told him, you know, it's not safe, something's wrong, get out...feeling that way...made me want to fight for the commission and for everything else because I felt like, the American public deserves to know."

Attempts at Investigation & the Bush Administration’s Roadblocks

• The public demanded answers about "intelligence failures." The joint congressional investigation began under Bob Graham and Porter Goss but was stifled by threats and intimidation (07:22–09:05).
• Cheney and Rove applied political pressure, warning that congressional inquiries into 9/11 would be portrayed as interference with the war effort (08:07–08:39).
• FBI under Mueller "sicced" on Congress after leaks to the press—described as pure intimidation meant to stymie the investigation's progress (09:05–09:31).

Creation and Weakening of the 9/11 Commission

• Intense pressure from the public and "Jersey Girls" (relatives of victims) forced the creation of an independent commission (09:39–10:06).
• Bush signed the commission into law but ensured it had a weak mandate: meager funding, a tight timeline, and limited subpoena power.
  • Comparison: 9/11 commission got $3 million; the Monica Lewinsky investigation received 13x as much; Mueller’s Russia investigation 11x (10:06–10:50).

Controlling the Commission—Kissinger, Kaine, and Zelikow

• The administration’s first choice as commission chair was Henry Kissinger, a polarizing figure with deep conflicts of interest. The widows confront him, leading to his resignation after being asked about his business ties to Saudi and bin Laden interests (10:50–13:55).
  • Memorable moment (Kristin Breitweiser, 12:58):

    "So at one point...one of the widows had asked him whose clients were, do you represent any Saudi royals?...he immediately got flustered...spilled [his tea]...and then he just never answered the question. And then the very next day, he resigned."

• The role finally goes to Tom Kean—characterized as polite and non-confrontational—and then, more crucially, to Philip Zelikow as Executive Director:
  • Zelikow’s deep ties to the Bush administration and Condoleezza Rice are revealed. He had already promoted preemptive war policies (14:34–15:53).
  • He prewrote the commission’s report outline before the investigation truly began, shaping its findings (16:12–16:29).
  • He isolated, siloed, and restricted staff, consolidating control and filtering access to key documents (16:44–17:38).
  • Maintained regular communications with Karl Rove and Rice, prompting further suspicions (17:57–18:40).

Steering the Narrative: Linking Iraq and Al Qaeda

• Zelikow inserted text linking Saddam Hussein to Al Qaeda into the commission’s initial drafts, despite lack of evidence. Though removed by attentive staff later, public hearings were stacked with neoconservative witnesses who pushed the Iraq connection (18:54–20:16).
• Example: Hoover Institute’s Abraham Sofaer and AEI’s Laurie Mylroie, both advocates for preemptive war and the (discredited) Iraq–Al Qaeda link (19:11–20:16).

The Truth Buried: Final Report as "Cover-Up"

• By April 2004, Senator Bob Kerrey confronts Condoleezza Rice on Zelikow’s involvement; Rice and Zelikow had closely collaborated on Bush foreign policy (20:11–21:15).
• Zelikow had previously played a role in demoting counterterrorism czar Dick Clarke prior to 9/11—vital detail omitted in the final report (21:15).
• Host’s summary (21:15):

  "The 911 Commission report was a cover up from beginning to end. That is true, and that's the most important starting point for those seeking to understand what actually happened on September 11th. The official story is a lie."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On commission’s failure to seek truth (Kristin Breitweiser, 15:53):

  "I believe he was placed there to again play the gatekeeper, to ensure that the commission would not unearth the truth and more than anything, to protect the Bush administration and also lay the groundwork for the war in Iraq."

• On manipulation inside the commission (Host, 16:12):

  "In March of 2003, before the investigation had even begun, Zelikow had already prepared a detailed outline, complete with chapter headings..."

• On intimidation by the FBI (Kristin Breitweiser, 09:05):

  "The FBI, you know, really came down hard on the joining query...when the FBI comes after you, it's kind of scary because you're looking at not only, you know, potentially losing your position in congress, but also imprisonment."

Key Timestamps

• 00:31–03:04: Setting the scene: Bush campaign, early 9/11 planning, failures of intelligence.
• 03:04–05:08: Personal stories from 9/11 widows, focus on Kristin Breitweiser.
• 07:18–09:05: Public skepticism grows; Bush administration’s attempts to suppress investigations.
• 10:06–11:03: Bush signs commission into law while limiting its powers.
• 12:58–13:46: Confrontation with Kissinger, his resignation.
• 14:34–15:53: Philip Zelikow’s appointment and background.
• 16:12–17:38: Zelikow’s control and manipulation of the commission’s work.
• 18:54–20:16: Steering the commission towards linking Iraq and Al Qaeda.
• 20:11–21:15: Senator Kerrey’s confrontation with Rice; Zelikow's concealed role in key policy decisions.

Tone and Delivery

The episode employs a tone of skepticism, urgency, and outrage. Tucker Carlson and guest Kristin Breitweiser blend personal testimony, investigative reporting, and political commentary to challenge the legitimacy of the official 9/11 account. There’s a repeated emphasis on the themes of government corruption, media complicity, and the need for persistent questioning.

Conclusion

The episode asserts that the 9/11 Commission was intentionally compromised from its formation, orchestrated to protect top officials and serve a predetermined policy agenda (the Iraq War). The official report is characterized as a calculated cover-up, achieved through structural manipulation, intimidation, and narrative control by political insiders. The show closes by posing unresolved questions: What is being hidden? Who was protected? The promise is made that further answers will be explored in the next installment.